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Any Diy alternatives to making a bottom boards and tops for bee hives

I love the designs that this site is offering. Beautiful and if I was a good wood worker or and a shop to work it great, but any designs that would still create a functional lids bottom boards that would not require a shop or more tool's then a circular saw jig saw and a drill any ideas would be helpful thanks

Re: Any Diy alternatives to making a bottom boards and tops for bee hives

One of my most valuable tools to work with a scilk saw is a saw guild. I make mine out of 1/4 Plywood. Cut a strip about 2" wide by 8' or 4' long. Glue and screw the strip to a peice wider than the base of your saw now rip the bottom peice now you have your guild. Use a couple of spring clams. Clamp to a sheet that you want to rip at where you want it rip and go to it. If you do this right you almost don't need a table saw.
David

Re: Any Diy alternatives to making a bottom boards and tops for bee hives

the most difficult part (without a router or table saw) is cutting dados in the side pieces to enclose the edges of the plywood. You really don't have to make dados. You can just cut the very bottom part of the sidewall separately, and make the plywood extend the full 16 1/4" width. Glue the bottom part of the sidewall to the plywood, and then similarly do the top part of the sidewall. Effectively you are just sandwiching the plywood with the sidewall pieces. Repeat for the other sides.

Keep in mind that the formerly protected plywood edge is now exposed to the elements, so be sure to seal it. Painting glue on the edge is one approach.

I would also encourage you to troll your local Craigslist for an affordable table saw.

Re: Any Diy alternatives to making a bottom boards and tops for bee hives

I have a small portable table saw that I use to cut the frame rests in the cedar planks I use, other than that, everything else is cut with a portable Ryobi saw and a jig saw. No fancy wood shop at my house! I use butt joints on everything and just make sure I glue it all with titebond 2 and shoot staples into them.

You don't have to " go pro " like some of the talented wood workers on this site!

Re: Any Diy alternatives to making a bottom boards and tops for bee hives

My local Homedepot will cut sheets of plywood down for me to use as lids and bottom boards.
They even cut the 1x2 I use for cleats on lids and feet on bottom board.
They don't even charge the extra $.50 per cut over 2
They aren't perfect but if you ask nice and hit them slow and help they come out close.
They have a very genuine DIY look too them!

Re: Any Diy alternatives to making a bottom boards and tops for bee hives

I make all my own equipment and, trust me, it's not fancy but it works! I use a circular saw, a router, a drill, and a jig saw. May take me a bit longer but these work fine. I recently discovered FatBeeMan's ( dixiebeesupply.com ) plans. They are simple and serviceable and I like them better than the old ones I had been using.

Re: Any Diy alternatives to making a bottom boards and tops for bee hives

migratory tops are a no brainer, even with crappy tools. just cut outdoor plywood to size (with a little extra overhang longways) and add 1x2s underneath the plywood. place the 1x2's to fit fairly snug on the sides of a super and it will never blow off like store bought tops

Re: Any Diy alternatives to making a bottom boards and tops for bee hives

My migratory tops are 1/2 inch exterior plywood cut exactly to the box size or even slightly undersized. I don't bother with 1x2s anymore on the ends. The bees glue them down pretty quick and I almost never have one blow off.

Re: Any Diy alternatives to making a bottom boards and tops for bee hives

Many of my hives and Nucs are set up with just a piece of foil surfaced foam wall insulation board. For Summer ventilation I cut a small square/rectangular hole in the bottom foam piece and place a piece of metal screen over it to keep out unwanted visitors and to spare the foam from the bees chewing on it. In the Winter I reduce this bottom vent by placing a piece of plastic under the screen and over the vent hole.

For covers I just use a piece of canvas or heavy plastic as an inner cover and slide both the canvas and foam cover back a little to create an upper entrance. I hold them on with a piece of wood/stone/brick.

Re: Any Diy alternatives to making a bottom boards and tops for bee hives

Just a simple one I use for nucs and for wintering. Not my idea, I got it from someone else.

From slats you make an U and an O...just nailing.

Put a mesh in between and nail'em together. Cut a notch into the front. That is it.

Insert a sheet from behind and below the mesh. If you put the floor on a tile, cement slab or wooden table (sort of) it is a closed floor. Put it on a rack and it is an open mesh floor. In all cases you can block the back entrance with a topbar and the bottom with the inserted sheet.

I cutted the slats to the right size and made sets of them, tied together. Tucked them away until I use them. Then I can put them together within an hour or so. There always is a need for floors and lids and stuff during swarm time. This is the backup.

Re: Any Diy alternatives to making a bottom boards and tops for bee hives

another really simple and quick way to make a screen bottom board...

cut a piece of 3/4 plywood to the size of the bottom board ...then cut out a hole in the middle to make it like a big doughnut....staple the screen on it...then nail the three 3/4x3/4 strips on it....it's cheap, easy, and will work...the plywood edges are exposed but it will hold up if painted....heck I've got one like it that's a year old and not painted and it still looks fine!